Also: Microsoft plans six patched for Tuesday; MCI acquires Totality; Sprint/Nextel merger nearly done; Cisco resets passwords for Cisco.com
A week after Microsoft released the first beta of its Longhorn client operating system, now called Vista, an Austrian virus writer has published five viruses that target Microsoft’s new command shell technology called MHS (previously code-named Monad). Microsoft had planned to ship MHS with Vista, but recent rumblings among Microsoft watchers say that might not happen. Microsoft has not made an official announcement on the availability of MHS. However, last week security vendor F-Secure said the viruses were the first “Vista viruses” discovered. Last year, researchers from Symantec concluded that the current version of the Microsoft Shell had enough functionality to allow a variety of malicious threats including file-infecting viruses. (See this week’s test of Vista.)
Microsoft plans to release six software patches this week covering Windows flaws. The company also plans to release an updated version of its Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, and a non-security update for Windows. The patches, which Microsoft calls “updates,” will come as part of the company’s regular monthly patch release cycle. Microsoft releases most software patches on the second Tuesday of each month, a date that has come to be known as “Patch Tuesday” by security professionals. The company did not release details about the patches, except to say that some of them will be rated “critical,” meaning that flaws could allow malicious code to be installed on an affected computer without user action.
The fact that MCI is in the middle of being acquired by Verizon hasn’t stopped the company from looking to do buyouts of its own. MCI last week announced it is acquiring Totality, a privately held service provider in San Francisco that offers remote application and infrastructure management. Totality’s service lets users keep their application servers and network infrastructure in their own data centers while the firm manages these systems remotely. Financial details about the deal were not disclosed. American Airlines and Sony are among Totality’s customers.
The $35 billion merger of Sprint and Nextel is virtually a done deal now that the FCC and the Department of Justice have approved the transaction. Both government organizations last week gave their blessing to the union, which will solidify Sprint’s position as the third-largest wireless service provider in the U.S. Sprint/Nextel will serve about 45 million customers, which is behind only Cingular Wireless, with about 50 million users, and Verizon Wireless, with 45.5 million subscribers. Sprint says it will announce the close of the deal shortly.
Cisco last week said it is resetting passwords for all registered users of its Cisco.com Web site after discovering a vulnerability in its search engine software that left user passwords exposed. The passwords are used by Cisco customers, employees and partners who have registered on the Web site to get access to special areas of the site or to receive e-mail alerts. Cisco was made aware of the problem early last week and corrected it immediately, a spokesman says. As a precaution, the company has been sending new passwords to all registered users.
